Perspectives from the “Urban Geographies in the Global South” Workshop – 19-20 April 2024, Bonn, Germany

Gertrud Schaab and Yajna Sewmohan from the WoPedyP team attended and presented at the 2024 workshop of the working group “Urban Geographies in the Global South,” held in Bonn. The workshop took place over two days, from April 19 to 20, and focused on the theme "Thinking With and Beyond Infrastructures." Bringing together researchers from diverse fields, both in Germany and abroad, the workshop provided unique insights and diverse perspectives on topics such as green infrastructure, urban politics, migration and peri-urban geographies. More broadly, the workshop provided an excellent opportunity to share ideas, connect with other researchers working on similar topics and themes, and gain fresh perspectives on urban(ising) spaces in the Global South. Through this blog, both Gertrud, who attended the workshop in person, and Yajna, who participated virtually, briefly capture their experiences of the workshop. Day 1: Engaging, learning and networking The workshop opened on a Friday afternoon with a lively session comprising presentations on the sub-theme: transformations of urban realities. In this session, the various presenters explored how people shape urban realities through everyday practices. Yajna found this session particularly interesting given that it aligned with her PhD research, which includes exploring the micro-scale factors shaping peri-urban Mankweng. Among the presentations, Yajna was especially intrigued by that of Hanxi Wang. It examined informal urban agriculture practices (known as chengshi kaihuang) in Wuhan, China. Wang described this as an instance of a “bottom-up, ruralising agency”i practised by everyday people amidst rapid urbanisation. Yajna thought that loose parallels could be drawn in the case of Mankweng, where her research points strongly to the role peoples’ agency plays in shaping their peri-urban environment. Indeed, through her sense of place inquiry, she identified the agency of everyday persons, their desire to continue subsistence farming and their valuation of the freedom to slaughter cattle for cultural purposes as factors influencing peri-urbanisation in Mankweng and (re)shaping what its supposed urban future might look like. The specific mechanisms through which this occurs are explained in her forthcoming article. The day's second session focused on green infrastructure in the Global South, featuring presentations on nature-based solutions in Cape Town, South Africa, and Lilongwe City, Malawi. The third (and last) session, centring around the sub-theme of urban waterways, featured engaging discussions on the multifaceted role of water systems in Accra and São Paulo. Mary Lawhon's keynote speech capped off the day’s more formal affairs. Her presentation of the “circular city” focused on the politics of scale and sanitation. It sparked reflections on what it means to design urban systems to support sustainable and inclusive growth and development. Moreover, it drew out comments and critiques of the teleological assumptions underpinning modernist world views of “development”. Commenting on Lawhon’s presentation, Yajna said she was impressed by how effortlessly Lawhon explained more complex ideas in simple terms. She continued by noting that she was particularly inspired by Lawhon’s presentation style, which was measured, thoughtful, and deliberate. An eventful and intellectually stimulating day concluded with a dinner for in-person attendees. This not only allowed the attendees to unwind and continue the day's conversations but also enabled them to make and solidify connections. Here, Gertrud had the chance to connect with the two organisers of the workshop, Carsten Butsch and Alexander Follmann. Day 2: Urban Politics, Peri-Urban Geographies & Mobility and Migration The second day of the workshop kicked off at 08.30 with a session on urban politics. The various speakers used case studies to demonstrate how urban spaces reflect broader political dynamics. The next session, Session 5, concerned peri-urban geographies. It was in this session that both Yajna and Gertrud gave their presentations. Yajna’s presentation spoke of the themes evinced by the peri-urban space of Mankweng and concluded by questioning the narrative that the future of the peri-urban is destined to be urban. During the Q&A session, she was asked, amongst other things: 1. If she probed the different ways in which the concept of ‘home’ was applied when respondents stated that they do not intend to leave Mankweng because “it’s home” and; 2. The extent to which those who lived in the place for a more extended period of time were more likely to consider the place ‘home’. To the latter, Yajna explained that although this was a trend in the data, she also found that even those who had lived in the Mankweng area for a relatively short time—such as 1 to 3 years—still regarded it as home. Nonetheless, she reiterated that there were other factors to consider, including how welcoming the community is to outsiders. Addressing the former question, Yajna acknowledged that, given her current research focus, she had not ventured down this avenue but that it constitutes a line of inquiry worth pursuing in the near future. Following Yajna’s presentation was that of Gertrud. She provided background information about the WoPedyP project, including its setup, aims, and objectives. While always referring to the project partners and team members involved in the various research stages, she offered an overview of the project activities conducted thus far, linking them to project results where possible and thus offering insights into the research. In discussing co-creating potential futures and transformative pathways, Gertrud described the next stages of the project and what the team plans to achieve with their findings. Like Yajna, Gertrud also received comments and feedback from fellow researchers following her presentation. Of particular note was a comment appreciating the focus on women in the research. Additionally, the question, "Why not use results to project the future instead of just working with scenarios of possible futures?" was well-remembered by Gertrud. Apart from this, the audience was also keen to learn about the project’s mini-conference in September 2024. The workshop's final session, Session 6, focused on mobility and migration. Yajna recalled being impressed by and seeing merit in the speakers' close examination and detailed ethnographic research, which aimed to trace individuals’ migratory routes over the course of their lives. Endings and (new) beginnings Participating in the “Urban Geographies in the Global South” workshop was more than just an opportunity to share research; it was a chance to learn from an international community of scholars and to engage in meaningful discussions about the complexities of urbanisation in the Global South. The quality of discussions during the Q&A sessions and the tea/coffee breaks provided speakers with invaluable feedback on their work. This was also true for Yajna and Gertrud. Although she participated online, Yajna appreciated the audience's engagement with her research. The questions and feedback she received prompted her to consider alternative lines of inquiry related to her work. For her part, Gertrud stated that the workshop proved to be very useful for establishing connections with scientists/researchers in the field of Human Geography, both in Germany and beyond. Overall, the workshop fostered rich dialogue and constructive discussions. This allowed participants to exchange ideas and provide constructive criticism in a collegial atmosphere. Over the two days, new professional connections were forged, which we hope to reinforce through future workshops and collaborative efforts. Additionally, the two presentations delivered by the WoPedyP team members raised awareness about the project, piqued researchers’ interests, and will undoubtedly serve to foster engagement with the project and its aims in the foreseeable future. ********* *Also discussed in Wang, H. 2024. The role of informal ruralization within China’s rapid urbanization. Nature Cities, 1, pp. 205–215. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44284-024-00038-4